Riddle [Tomione, On Hold]

Chapter Four

Chapter Four
Tom Riddle

"Tom."

Tom Riddle instinctively looked up from his Potions book at the sound of a voice calling his name, raising his eyes to meet a pair of familiar half-moon spectacles and kindly smile.

"Sir?" he questioned and with the wave of his wand, Albus Dumbledore conjured a comfortable-looking seat out of thin air that settled to the spot opposite to Riddle with a gentle plock.

"It is within my knowledge, Tom," the professor started, taking his seat as he looked at Tom in a condescending manner as if he was a child who had done something wrong. "That you were the student who found the unconscious girl in the Room of Requirement the night before?"

Tom could feel himself stiffen slightly as he inwardly seethed at the old crone's tone. Out of all the professors, Dumbledore was the one who seemed to like him the least, always watching him with wary eyes and speaking to him in a patronizing manner.

It wasn't like Tom hadn't tried his utmost best to get the professor to favor him (or at least not dislike him)— in fact, he had been trying at the first few months of his time at Hogwarts, sending Professor Dumbledore his most charming smiles and genuine admiration. But despite all that, the wariness with which the professor looked at him only grew more as the months passed and Tom's fascination with magic— particularly the Dark Arts— grew.

"Yes sir," Tom replied almost automatically, having been asked about what had happened the night before dozens of times before the students (and a few teachers) grew tired of their attempts to pry out the whole story from him. "I was simply looking for a place to study and—"

Professor Dumbledore raised his hand to stop Tom from continuing.

"Don't worry," he said, eyes twinkling. "I won't be asking about the details of how you came across the poor girl."

"What I do want to know—," the professor continued before Tom could let in a word. "—is if you have anything you want to tell me."

Tom could only stare blankly at the man across him, confusion quickly spreading across his handsome features.

A pause.

"...Sir?"

The professor didn't say a word, smiling knowingly as he looked at Tom through his half-moon spectacles and unflinching, Tom stared at him back, as if challenging Professor Dumbledore to say more.

There was a short moment of silence before the professor decided to speak once more, his infuriating (it was to Tom, to say the least) smile still plastered on his face.

"Well, if you do want to tell me anything about anything you have maybe seen or well, taken a glance of, I'll be waiting for you in my office."

And with those words, Professor Dumbledore stood from his seat with a slight swish of his robes and headed for the library's exit, pausing briefly to look at Tom once more.

"Oh, and do drop by to see how Miss Hermione Lockhart is doing. It would be good for her to properly thank you for saving her life," he advised and sent Tom another knowing smile before taking his leave.